Snapshots
by the.terrorist
Summary: Yoh/Anna. Yoh and Anna, their relationship, and their many kisses.
1. because you're messing with my head

As opposed to what people seemed to have in mind about the famous couple, to all the conceptions they never failed to share with one another and pass off as gossip, Yoh and Anna's first kiss wasn't the one their friends witnessed the day Yoh left for America, when she dared to press her lips to his, uncaring, for the first time, of whatever audience they had and what they would think of her once the deed was done.

The girls had melted before the scene. The guys had seemed to finally come to the realization that, far from being the unluckiest of them all, the Asakura heir might be the complete opposite.

It wasn't the one they shared one Christmas, when the alcohol he had consumed rushed up to Yoh's head and gave him the courage to grab her around the waist and pull her to him, this time being him the one who completely ignored their gaping group of friends.

It _definitely_ wasn't the sweet, tender touch of their lips that followed the customary, "You may kiss the bride".

Truthfully, it was nothing of what any of them expected or would ever have the capacity to conjure up; it wasn't incredibly romantic, nor was it incredibly violent.

But Yoh did get slapped for it.

_Hard_.

It happened one winter, when they were eleven. It was the year before Yoh left for Tokyo, the one that followed his first meeting with his fiancée. It was December, a very cold one, at that, and his grandmother had made the decision to come down to Izumo for his mother's birthday, which was surprising, because she almost never did, seeing as she was always too busy with her trainees.

Yoh's winters were usually very full and very fun. He was more of a fan of the balmy summer air than the terribly cold and heavy snowfall, that was for granted, but since nothing really ever managed to hold him down, he made the most of it and enjoyed it as best as he could.

He supposed it later on helped that it was during a winter as cold as they came that he met his fiancée for the first time.

People could play down their meeting as much as they wanted, but, one year later, Yoh was sure it was a meeting that had turned his life upside down and spun it on its axis. The consequences may not necessarily show in the present, but his future had changed the moment he saw her before his eyes, and soon, everybody would be able to tell.

Needless to say, far from trudging forward through the unforgiving winter in hopes that spring would arrive early so that he could at least have a chance of stepping outside the house without freezing together with the clothes that were supposed to keep him warm, Yoh found himself enjoying that December more than he had enjoyed any other in his entire existence.

It went without saying that everything that was special and stood out in his life had to do with the blonde girl that gracefully stepped into his way one snowy day in a city forgotten by the world.

He remembered how excited he had felt when he found out his grandmother was coming down to Izumo and, most importantly, bringing Anna along. By then, Yoh had already long since come to terms with the fact that he had fallen in love with her. It was a fact people might, again, call him crazy for, but it was the truth, and he had no reason to hide it or feel ashamed by it. He remembered butterflies and fear and happiness all rolling into a strange feeling in his stomach that was both pleasant and uncomfortable.

He would learn, later on, that it was something specific to Anna—making him feel everything at once and making it feel _good_.

For their second meeting, he didn't expect her to run into his arms and he didn't expect her to treat him as harshly as she had once done. He didn't expect much of anything, and perhaps it was that that kept him from being disappointed.

At the beginning, everything was exactly as before, only that she was much quieter and less opinionated; then, slowly, it began to dawn on him that she didn't _know_ how to act around him anymore. It dawned on him that he'd saved her life, that he'd risked his own and sacrificed that of his friend in order to ensure that she would live on, and that she simply hadn't seen that coming in a million years.

Anna didn't talk much, and he'd known that beforehand. She seemed to find it difficult to interact with his mother, as well, but he could understand that; Keiko was probably the most overwhelmingly cheerful person the blonde had come in contact with that actually paid her any attention.

It pained him a little to realize she simply wasn't used to people being nice to her.

She spent most of her time in the guestroom she had been assigned, and he didn't dare to ask to keep her company because he was too afraid she would reject him—or, even worse, be mad at him for bothering her. He already knew she was very fond of her privacy and her personal space, and if she needed someone to have a conversation with, she would seek them out. Only that she probably wouldn't, because she'd grown so used to being alone.

In the short week of her stay at the compound, Yoh and Anna only saw each other during mealtime. Even then, she was silent, only answered questions when she was asked and in as little words as possible, and rarely even glanced at him.

They also saw each other during the small party his mother had decided to organize for her birthday. Someone must have asked her specifically to attend, he realized, but that didn't mean the circumstances changed. She still didn't speak. She still kept to herself. She still sat alone, in a corner of the room, away from everybody, and still looked so lost it made his heart clench painfully in his chest.

For an entire night, he battled with the idea of heading over to her and striking up a conversation. It could be about anything, he told himself. Anna wouldn't ignore him; the worst thing she could do was tell him he was stupid, but that was nothing new, and the reminiscence of the last time she'd told him that made him realize it wouldn't be unpleasant, either. It would be _her_ and that would be great, because, even still, Yoh wasn't stupid enough _not_ to realize he hadn't seen anything of the girl he'd met a year before in all the time that she'd been there.

So, for an entire evening, he debated.

And that was how he reached the end of the night without a conclusion.

It was an insane and almost unconceivable concept, considering his laidback nature and uncanny ability of always having the right words on board, but Yoh was nervous, and for what seemed to be the first time in his life, every time he made the conscious decision of standing up, his tongue tied up and his muscles locked up and he found himself unable to leave his seat at the dinner table.

He gave up after a while.

Instead, he watched her.

The truth was, she was even more beautiful than he remembered; her blonde hair was longer, brushing a little past her shoulders, and, although he was aware it may sound ridiculous, her honey eyes seemed to have gained a sparkle that hadn't been there before. She was clearly uncomfortable, though, sitting there, all by herself, in the lace dress his mother had insisted she bought for her. She was silent, gazing either forward, at his family and their well-entertained guests, or down at her feet.

The only expression visible on her face was that of discomfort. He furrowed his brows as if the realization was new, but in his defense, he had never thought he would live to see the day when Anna Kyoyama was uncomfortable. She could be sad or lonely or even happy, if he had a say in it, but uncomfortable? It wasn't her. She was the type of person that took things in stride, as they came, and learned to deal with them the best that she could, because there was simply no other way. Still, as she watched his family interact with their friends and with each other, she seemed to find it hard to understand what she was feeling herself.

Eventually, the event came to an end. The guests left, one by one, but it was only after she had been given permission that the girl stood from her seat and silently moved out of the room. He remembered being amazed by how incredibly graceful and elegant she was in every single one of her movements. The moment she was out of his sight, the power she seemed to have had over him disappeared, and he regained control over his muscles; his mind continued to be dominated by her image, though, as he immediately bolted out of his seat, but only for one reason: and that was to follow her into the hallway.

The Asakura compound that had been his home from the moment he sucked in his first breath was a ridiculously large property, with much more room than his small family could even dream to put to good use, but he had been paying attention when his mother explained where his fiancée's guest-room would be located, so it was easy for him to run in the right direction.

"Anna!" he called without a speck of hesitation. He seemed to have regained control over his words, as well.

Hearing her name being said, the blonde stopped and turned around, head tilted slightly to the side as she regarded the boy rushing to catch up with her.

With a couple more hurried steps and a large grin so characteristic to his persona plastered on his face, Yoh finally came to stand in front of the object of his thoughts, dreams, and nightmares. He opened his mouth to speak, unsure yet of what he would say, but that was alright, because he never planned what was about to exit his mouth, in the first place. It was normal. It was _him_.

But he had been wrong, because his control had not fully returned.

He opened his mouth, but no sound came out.

He frowned. Anna simply gazed at him—blankly; though, after a while, he noticed a small spark of annoyance making its appearance in her eyes.

Once more, and for the umpteenth time that evening, the brunet found himself struggling with something he had never had problems in the past.

Asakura Yoh was _never_ at a loss of words, but this girl—this beautiful, broken girl that had arrived in his life so unexpectedly but managed to capture his heart so completely with a single glance—disabled everything that was certain about him and rendered him unrecognizable.

Frustrated, confused, and at the same time, overwhelmed with the intensity of his feelings, Yoh did the only thing he had left that he could think of at that point and that actually made sense.

He kissed her.

He didn't wrap her in his arms or rested his forehead against hers or gazed into her eyes or pressed his lips to her cheek first. No, he dived in, headfirst, tilting his head down and capturing her soft, warm, full lips with his.

Needless to say, Anna was appalled. Abruptly and without hesitation, she pulled away, drew her hand back, and slapped him across the face so hard not only did his head turn sideways, but he very nearly lost his balance, as he had to take a step back to avoid falling on his ass.

"What the hell is _wrong_ with you?" she hissed, much more venomously that he had ever heard up until that point, before swiftly turning on her heels and stalking away. This time, there was no more grace in her demeanor; instead, her anger shined through, making it impossible for anyone unlucky enough to cross her path to miss it.

Yoh remained in his spot, motionless, simply staring after her, watching as she disappeared out of sight while he cradled his throbbing cheek.

The kiss barely lasted for three seconds, but that didn't mean he hadn't had time to soak up every single piece of information that was available to him. Her lips were warm, soft, and just as full as they seemed. They were moist and somewhat sweet, and sent shockwaves coursing through every nerve of his body. Never before had he felt something quite so powerful as the moment he had just shared with his precious fiancée.

And there was no doubt in his mind he would have a very pretty bruise to prove it the following morning.

* * *

**A/N: I've had this idea for a while, but it had to wait, what with my senior year and final exams. I toyed with the idea of actually posting it, because I still have so many other stories to focus on, but since I couldn't stop thinking about it, I figured, the hell with it. Haha! As usual with first chapters, this was a pain in the ass to edit, so I might come back with retouches later on!**

**Before someone decides to say something about it, I am aware that people in Japan don't celebrate Christmas and I am aware that they live their lives differently then we (or I) do. Of course I do, every culture is different—as is every part of the globe. Still, it's my story, so if I want the Asakuras to celebrate Christmas, they will.**

**I looked it up on Wikipedia, but I was unable to find Keiko's birthday, so I took the liberty to place it wherever I saw fit. If you know otherwise, and it's incorrect, please let me know!**

**Also, the story won't follow the manga in its entirety. Some things will be different, but then again, it's a Yoh & Anna story, so their relationship is the main focus. **

**Please review and let me know what you thought about this first chapter!**


	2. because i already love you

Sitting in a chair by his bedside while he slumbered quietly in his exhaustion, Anna had to wonder when exactly it was that she had fallen in love with him.

There weren't many words and actions that could woo her and that was only normal, considering the fact that she had lived without affection for all of her life, so she had no clear idea of how it felt—and because of that, she didn't find it the least bit attractive; she didn't know what it was, what it could or could not do, and she was so secretly afraid of the dark and the unknown that it was almost ridiculous.

Yoh's stubbornness had surprised her. His sudden devotion had shocked her. The fact that he'd gone as far as risking his life and ending that of his friend just so he could save hers—a rude girl he'd met not even twenty-four hours before—was unconceivable, in her book.

Anna didn't trust people easily. Perhaps that was one of the reasons why she had, more than once, watched Yoh's actions and considered his possible intentions with suspicion. And that _had_ to be one of the reasons why she found this feeling that was churning inside her stomach so difficult to believe, much less express.

She _knew_ what it was. She'd felt it before, she remembered it clearly, and she knew how to recognize it because it was so unlike anything she'd felt in the past years.

It wasn't devotion.

It wasn't gratefulness.

It wasn't anything of what it should have been and what would be normal for it to be.

It was love.

Pure love. Bigger then herself. Bigger than him. Bigger, perhaps, than the entire world.

And even if she couldn't believe she had come to feel it again, maybe it was time for her to acknowledge and accept it, regardless.

That was the conclusion Anna reached as she sat in an uncomfortable chair in her fiancé's hospital room, watching as he slept peacefully, undisturbed by the pattern of torturous thoughts that, not for the first time, kept _her_ wide awake.

Her heart had nearly dropped to the pits of her stomach and spluttered to a stop when she heard he had managed to injure himself so gravely he ended up in the hospital. Three years before, he'd almost been killed saving her, and she had known in that moment that, was the only person who had cared enough to lend her a hand to help her out of her darkness be enveloped by it and dragged into another world, out of her reach, she would die with him.

It would have been too cruel, considering her past, but, in a way, it would have also been terribly fitting. It would have shown her that all the people who hated her had a reason for doing it, and then maybe her rebellious soul that simply refused to understand and see it would have been at peace.

But she was glad it hadn't happened. She'd never thought she'd be glad for the chance to live, but it seemed like a single meeting with this boy had already changed her.

She resolved she would make sure it would continue to do the same, because it wasn't a bad change. She could _feel_ again. Worry and sadness and love—all feelings that, she knew, could very well destroy her if she wasn't careful, but at least she now had a person she could direct them towards. At least there was someone in her life deserving of them. At least she wasn't simply feeling sorry for herself or, in the best of cases, feeling numb.

Instead, Anna could focus on Yoh. She could look after him and take care of him, because he had taken care of her when she'd needed it, as well. Keeping him close and keeping him alive would be her way of staying out of the darkness, of keeping in touch with the human side of her, with reality.

Kino had asked her to move to Tokyo with him—to make sure he didn't get himself in more trouble than he should and that he was prepared for the Shaman Tournament he would soon have to face.

She had found him in the hospital, with a shrimp of a boy she didn't know and didn't care to meet, either. He'd laughed nervously at her sudden appearance, obviously scared of her reaction—and good, he seemed to be a quick learner.

She'd slapped him, of course. And she'd slap him a hundred times more if that meant he would learn this lesson, too, and stop putting his life in danger.

Somehow, though, she knew that was something she would never manage to achieve.

Heaving a sigh, she raised her head, her gaze immediately falling on his still figure, and wondered how she'd managed to land herself in such a situation, how destiny seemed to have, yet again, gotten a hold of her and, against her will, shaken her so roughly she was sent on another path altogether. How had she ended up with such an idiot for a future husband? Wondering was futile, though, because there was nothing she could do about it.

Would she really, even, if she had a chance?

She doubted it.

She _loved_ him.

At thirteen years of age, Kyoyama Anna could already say that she was madly in love with a boy, no older than she, that was vastly different in each and every breath he took.

And if anyone were to take that away, all she knew was that her life wouldn't be worth living anymore.

Standing up, she heaved another sigh and crossed her arms over her chest. Yoh seemed peaceful and content, his face relaxed in his sleep. As much as she would want to hurt him for being so careless, she was glad he wasn't in pain.

As she placed her hand over his forehead to feel his temperature, she bit her lip. Brushing his brown locks away from his face, she couldn't help but notice how he didn't even stir at the action, not even a hitch in his breath disturbing the silence of the room. He did, however, turn his head in her direction. It was almost an imperceptible movement, a natural reaction of his body to follow the warmth of her skin.

Her eyes softening, before she could change her mind, she bent down and pressed her lips to his forehead in a gentle, loving gesture, pouring into this one action everything she didn't have the courage to say yet, everything she knew she wouldn't be able to say for a long time, because she was too broken and she needed too many years ahead to find the pieces of her heart and sew them back together.

But she would do it. For him. Because he was worth the effort.

The sweet touch lingered, before she pulled away and retook her seat beside him. Folding her hands on the side of his bed, she rested her chin upon them and closed her eyes while exhaling heavily—completely missing the light smile that had spread over his suddenly mischievous expression in the wake of her unexpected action.

* * *

**A/N: So, there will be longer chapters, more significant for their relationship, and there will be shorter drabbles—like this one. I want to try to be more creative (and to stop spending so much time editing), so I'm planning on writing at least one drabble a week, so if you have any prompts or anything that you would like to read, let me know! (Leave it in a review, PM me, or drop it in the ask box on Tumblr.) I don't guarantee that I'll write it right away or that I'll write it at all, but I'm going to try—that's the whole point, right?**

**Anyway, I hoped you enjoyed this and, as usual, let me know what you thought!**


	3. because you do it all for me

Anna heaved a sigh born of pure frustration and annoyance as she made her way down the hallway of the inn, the sound of her bare feet slapping against the wooden floors a telltale sign of her heavy mood.

She had been in Tokyo for barely one week; she hadn't even had time to tell where everything was and how everything worked, she hadn't even had time to properly accommodate and call her new house a home—and yet, she was already sick and tired of her fiancé's lazy attitude and his tendency to slack off whenever he had time, in whatever way he could, wherever he found himself available.

She was also steadily growing more and more annoyed with the fact that she had to constantly supervise him, constantly make sure he was doing what she had asked of him, as if she didn't have any other matter to tend to in her life, as if he was the only person who mattered in the world, as if he wasn't supposed to know, perfectly well, that he needed to train, not because she said so and not because she would beat him up if he disagreed, but because he would die in the very first round of the Tournament or possibly even earlier if he didn't.

And what angered her most was the fact that Anna could swear that Yoh _did_ know all of that. He _knew_ that everything she was doing was for his own good. He'd been kicked around enough for him to be aware that he _needed_ to train more, to become stronger, to kick up the pace, because at the rate he'd been previously going, he would drop dead before he arrived anywhere near his destination.

He _knew_ that, and yet, finding places to sleep in, hidden from her view, still seemed to be his number one priority.

Storming through the door with a huff, Anna stepped out onto the porch. "Yoh Asakura, I do not have all the time in the world, now are you done?" she asked, crossing her arms over her chest, watching him, with a bored expression plastered on her face, as he struggled to finish the remaining push-ups that she had given him—in punishment, of course.

Another something that bothered her—it was as if he was stupid, really. No, she _knew_ he was stupid, she'd known it all along, but what she _hadn't _known was how far his stupidity reached.

All Yoh had to do was listen to her and do exactly as she said—nothing more, nothing less. And if he did, his training would only take him about half a day, _maybe_ more. But he insisted on slacking off and he insisted on trying to do everything his own way and he insisted on defying her. And so, he ended up doing much more than Anna herself had planned, training until late at night and waking up early just to train some more.

The blonde would have understood if he had tried his luck with her and received a punishment once. Twice. Even thrice, considering the fact that, then again, she knew he was stupid. But every single day?

Apparently, he wasn't half as good as learning his lessons as she'd thought he was.

"Yeah, Anna," he breathed, clearly exhausted, as he struggled to stand. His legs almost failed him, so he had to keep still for another couple of seconds before his body accommodated and he was able to straighten his back without the fear of toppling over in a graceless mass of mush muscles.

On her part, Anna simply turned to the ghost she had forced to watch over him for confirmation. As if she didn't have enough on her plate, Yoh seemed to have developed a strange ability to sway people and ghosts alike onto his side, so she had to be very careful in choosing her allies. Apparently, ghosts were great liars, as well.

Upon receiving a nod, the blonde dismissed the spirit and then turned to her fiancé, who was making his way onto the porch, still panting heavily.

She would have felt sorry for him had it not been for the fact that she was still irritated he'd tried to fool her again.

What exactly could have given him the wrong impression that her IQ levels equaled his own?

"Alright," she said. "Wash up and then come downstairs to cook dinner," she commanded, before turning around and storming back inside.

A groan escaped Yoh's lips as he followed her.

Anna rolled her eyes. "I know, I know. I know you hate training and you probably hate me, too, for making you do it, but guess what, I don't really care. Tomorrow, you're starting over, the same regime, bu—"

Her statement was unexpectedly interrupted before it was finished as a hand grabbed her upper arm and forcefully turned her around, stopping her in her spot. Shocked amber eyes looked up to meet brown ones, more serious than she ever remembered seeing them.

"That's not true," he said, his voice calm, but not entirely warm. It was more as if he was trying to send his point across without needing to offer clarifications, as if he was _demanding_ her to listen and understand his message.

Anna blinked.

Yoh took a step forward and almost closed the distance between them.

What was true, the fact that he was pissed at her for being so cruel and for cutting his slacking time short and for turning, basically, his entire world upside down and _enjoying_ it, didn't mean that he'd let her fool herself into believing his feelings for her were anything less than what they truly were. That didn't mean he'd let her imagine he hated her or that his anger for her overrode his love.

Because, he knew without a doubt, that could _never _happen.

The blonde raised an eyebrow, annoyance flashing across her eyes. "_Excuse_ me?"

"I don't hate you," he said, finally grinning in spite of his exhaustion, his expression become gentle and his tone once again warm as he assured her. "It's the exact opposite and you know it, Anna. Besides," he sighed, releasing her arm and stretching to his full height. "I know everything you do is for my own good. So, really, I should thank you."

He bent down then, without a warning and possibly without even thinking, and Anna's breath caught in her throat as his lips made contact with her cheek.

He pulled back only a second later with a grin and a sparkle in his eyes, announcing, "I'm gonna head upstairs and take a shower and then I'll start dinner, alright?"

With that, he turned around and made his way down the corridor and up the stairs, never once looking back, but not needing to in order to see her shock.

He grinned, though.

Because that was the way every day should end, and if they did, he was sure even the worst ones would have him smiling when he closed his eyes to sleep. Because he'd managed to render her speechless. Because he'd kissed her and gotten away with it.

Because, this time, he didn't end up slapped.

And if that wasn't progress, what was?


End file.
